| power generation facility uninterrupted steam | | | | feeding acid to control pH, installing a softener ahead |
| production is vital. It follows logically then that a | | | | of the RO system and feeding an antiscalant. |
| reliable source of boiler quality feed water is also | | | | Industrial Reverse Osmosis Consideration #4: Prevent |
| vitally important. Frequently these days this means | | | | microbiological fouling of the membrane |
| the installation and operation of an Industrial Reverse | | | | While generally not as damaging as mineral scale, |
| Osmosis (RO) system. | | | | microbiological fouling can significantly reduce the |
| The use of RO in power generation facilities has | | | | efficiency of a Reverse Osmosis system. Again, |
| become increasingly common over the last 15 years, | | | | preventing fouling is a far more effective strategy |
| especially in newly built facilities. Reverse Osmosis | | | | than fouling remediation. Microbiological fouling of |
| retrofits to the boiler water pre-treatment systems | | | | Reverse Osmosis systems is generally done by |
| of large, older power generation facilities are common | | | | controlling the MB content in the RO feed water to a |
| as well, irrespective of the fuel source. | | | | specified maximum using a biocide. |
| This article presents 5 operational considerations | | | | Industrial Reverse Osmosis Parameter #5: Prevent |
| when purchasing an industrial reverse osmosis system | | | | non-microbiological organic fouling of the RO |
| for your Power Generation facility. | | | | membrane |
| Industrial Reverse Osmosis Consideration #1: Focus | | | | This is most successfully done by controlling the COD |
| on the permeate | | | | of the RO feed water. If the RO feed water is plant |
| In Power Generation facilities normally the permeate | | | | service water and uncontaminated (or does not |
| is the desired water stream. System designs with | | | | contain recycled water or waste water) then the |
| more than one pass may be needed to ensure that | | | | COD is almost always color or decaying vegetation. |
| the final product is of the specified purity. Other | | | | Both can be removed through proper upstream |
| considerations may include RO redundancy to allow | | | | clarification or an anion exchanger. |
| some trains to be removed for cleaning or | | | | If the RO feed water contains a recycled or waste |
| membrane replacement, boiler makeup demand vs. | | | | component, then the COD can be almost anything. In |
| RO flow rate, the need for an RO water storage | | | | this case, proper upstream treatment using |
| tank, both upstream for the RO feed and | | | | secondary (biological) treatment of the waste or |
| downstream for the permeate. | | | | recycled stream will be needed to reduce the COD |
| Industrial Reverse Osmosis Consideration #2: | | | | to levels such that non-biological organic fouling of RO |
| Sometimes you'll focus on the reject | | | | membranes does not occur. |
| If the reject is the desired product, multi-staging may | | | | An in-depth discussion of Reverse Osmosis design |
| be necessary. In a power plant, wastewater and in | | | | considerations for the Power Generation Industry |
| some instances cooling tower blow down will be | | | | including tables and drawings can be downloaded in |
| concentrated using multi-staging RO to reduce the | | | | the free 11 page Layne Christensen white paper titled |
| total quantity of water that must be treated to final | | | | Eleven Things to Consider When Purchasing a |
| effluent standards. | | | | Reverse Osmosis System for Your Power |
| Industrial Reverse Osmosis Consideration #3: Prevent | | | | Generation Facility. |
| scaling of the RO membranes by hardness, strontium, | | | | As a leader in the development of Reverse Osmosis |
| or barium | | | | (RO) systems, Layne Christensen Company has the |
| The three most common means of preventing scale | | | | technical expertise to design and build reverse |
| build up in Power Generation RO systems are; | | | | osmosis systems for all of your plant water needs. |